IT'S A LIFESTYLE-BUSINESS THING

When I incorporated Digital Directive I said it would be my last. This is company #7 for me. Initially the idea was to operate solely online with the Ask TOBIE platform but then I spotted an opportunity and morphed it into a full service marketing agency. Around COVID time things changes so I went back to start up business advisory, and then onto technical consultancy. Now the company serves as a platform for joint ventures, and operates as an affiliate partner for a range of B2B SaaS.

Back when I first built and launched TOBIE (The Online Business Information Exchange) I promoted it as a "high-ticket course" but later decided to give it away and monetise differently. I wanted to help more people who wanted to help themselves. The platform has since evolved and now offers an advanced project management framework, goal-setting tools and an AI-assisted collaborative workspace.  The goal: to help newbies and technophobes become self sustainable online business experts.

As a foster parent, I chose to invest in Pathway9 because I saw a significant opportunity to make a lasting impact in the social housing sector, and because I care deeply about the future of young people. Currently in the R&D proof of concept stage, Pathway9 aims to offer scalable, tech-driven support that transforms how social care and assisted living are managed and delivered across the UK. By leveraging innovative AI technology, we strive to creative a better way of life for young care leavers.

The real estate industry is evolving fast, shifting away from outdated, manual methods toward smarter, tech-enabled strategies. Brokers no longer need to rely on cold calls and endless follow-ups to succeed. Today, it’s all about strategic digital execution, automation, and AI-powered client engagement. I'm currently focused on a number of PropTech innovations, including TAG Community Network and Social Broker Pro, an online training initiative to modernise the real estate sales process. 

After my wife trained as a primary school teacher, she realised that full-time teaching wasn’t for her. With a passion for beauty, we brainstormed a few ideas and decided she’d train as an aesthetician.  She'd inject and I'd the business side! We raised funds, launched the clinic, and have enjoyed year-on-year growth ever since. It's really just a lifestyle business for her but for me, I can't help but wonder whether The Mobile Beauty Clinic has "franchise" written all over it.

In 2004 I began my journey as an Advisor, partnering with ambitious founders and high-potential businesses to help them scale with clarity, structure, and purpose. What started as a passion for solving complex business problems soon became a vocation — aligning people, process, and technology to accelerate growth. I’ve worked with start-ups and SMEs across industries, guiding them through transformation with measurable results. Not about titles or trophies — just shared success.

Well that'd be lovely but for now all I can claim is the author part. Having read pretty much every best selling personal development book there is, and having experienced early financial success later followed by self declared bankruptcy, later followed by financial enlightenment, I figured I'd write about it in order to help others unlock the door to financial freedom. Money is not the root of all evil and whilst it doesn't grow on trees you can attract more of it into your experience, if you feel like it?

In 2025 I sat down with my AI assistant and questioned: “What if technology could help us feel more human?” That spark became The Awaikened — a creative experiment at the intersection of music, AI, and consciousness. Fast forward to 2024, and over ten original tracks later, the project has evolved into a movement: merging human emotion with artificial intelligence to create music that heals, connects, and awakens. Not about fame or fortune — just resonance, truth, and the joy of creation.